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Parents Accuse Hamilton County Of Deliberate Indifference, Failure To Provide Care To Their Son Who Died In Jail

The parents of a 27-year-old man who died in the Hamilton County Jail after a suspected DUI have brought a lawsuit against the sheriff's office and its health care team for alleged deliberate indifference and inadequate care.

David and Sandra Srofe on Wednesday filed the federal wrongful death lawsuit, which requests $4.5 million in damages from the county over the death of their son Jebediah Srofe, the complaint shows.

Deputies took Srofe to Parkridge North Emergency Room on Oct. 8, 2023, following his arrest, the complaint said.

After being examined and released, Srofe was held at the Hamilton County Jail on a bond his family could not afford, the complaint said.

In addition to driving under the influence, he was facing multiple drugs and traffic charges.

Quality Correctional Healthcare staff performed a physical assessment on Srofe the following day, which indicated he was going through fentanyl withdrawal, the complaint said.

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He was seen by medical staff again the day before his death. A notation in a jail log allegedly showed that staff were made aware of his deteriorating condition long before he died.

"According to those records, medications were ordered to treat withdrawals, and he was again released by medical and placed back in his cell," the complaint said.

Srofe was found unresponsive on a cell shower floor on Oct. 14, 2023, the complaint said. He was ultimately sent to the hospital where he was pronounced dead a little over an hour later.

The complaint accuses the sheriff's office of being deliberately, consciously and intentionally indifferent and callous toward Srofe's deteriorating medical condition, saying its failure to train its staff was allegedly the driving force behind Srofe's eventual death.

Sheriff's office spokesperson Matt Lea did not immediately respond to a request for comment. R. Dee Hobbs, an attorney for Hamilton County, also did not respond.

(READ MORE: 'It should be shocking': Hamilton County jail death rate far exceeds national figure)

NEGLECT HISTORY

The jail allegedly has a history of failing to provide proper medial care to inmates, maintaining inhuman living conditions and inmate on inmate violence, the complaint said.

When the sheriff's office took over operations of the jail from private prison company CoreCivic in 2020, the population doubled overnight as the downtown jail was closed, the complaint said.

Since the merger, there have been multiple lawsuits filed against the county.

"The conditions at the jail led the federal judiciary to remove all federal inmates in late 2020," the complaint said.

Luster Deloney was allegedly stabbed multiple times on April 23, 2021, despite Deloney warning jail staff he would be attacked. Then, Donyell Holland was allegedly beaten, badly injured, denied medical care and left on his cell floor for three days, the complaint said.

In April 2022, Brandon Cornett died in custody at the jail while his wife called consistently for weeks leading up to his death insisting he needed medicine, the complaint said.

(READ MORE: Hamilton County spent $543,000 defending former deputy Daniel Wilkey who was sued at least 10 times)

Carol White died the following month after allegedly being denied critical medication while serving a 45-day sentence for drunk driving.

In another case, DaQuarrious Brown was allegedly denied HIV medications for two months while housed at the jail, spent two months fighting for his life and died.

"Inmates in his cell would stage fights just to get the nurses' attention," the complaint said. "Mr. Brown regularly begged the jail staff to administer his medication, yet they refused. By the time he was brought to Parkridge North ER in March 2022, his HIV had rapidly progressed causing him to developed pneumonia and sepsis."

Abraham Jackson and Marvin Johnston Jr. Also died while in custody of the jail in 2022, the complaint said.

There have been at least 16 in-custody deaths since the sheriff's office assumed control, according to data previously obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Contact Sofia Saric at ssaric@timesfreepress.Com or 423-757-6476.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' New Downtown Practice Facility Is A Big Deal

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 26: A Wilson basketball lies on the court during Game Five of the Eastern ... [+] Conference First Round Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 26, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. New York defeated Cleveland 106-95 to win the series 4-1. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

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This week, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Cleveland Clinic, in partnership with Bedrock, announced plans for what they are calling a "first-of-its-kind sports performance." Called the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center, it would include the team's practice and a "interdisciplinary training center."

"This past December, Bedrock unveiled its visionary and ambitious Cuyahoga Riverfront Master Plan that will transform Cleveland's riverfront into one of the world's premier waterfronts," said Dan Gilbert, Cleveland Cavaliers Governor and Bedrock Chairman. "With today's announcement, we are taking the first step in realizing that vision by joining forces with Cleveland Clinic to design an innovative Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center right in Downtown Cleveland. This center will not only serve our team on and off the court, but it will create an opportunity for the everyday athlete to receive state-of-the-art care in Northeast Ohio."

The plan the statement refers to is a plan announced in February that aims to turn 35 acres of land behind Tower City Center in Cleveland into offices, apartments and green space. The project was designed by Sir David Adjaye, who previously designed the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The project has a 20-year timeline and a $3.5 billion budget.

The facility also continues and expands the team's corporate relationship with the Cleveland Clinic, the area's biggest hospital and one of the largest employers in the region. The Cleveland Clinic has naming rights on the team's current practice facility in Independence, Ohio (about 20 minutes outside of downtown Cleveland) and has partnered with the Cavs on different health initiatives.

"Cleveland Clinic is proud to partner with Bedrock and the Cleveland Cavaliers to announce our intention to move forward with this monumental plan that will greatly impact the health and well-being of our region for generations to come," said Tom Mihaljevic, MD, CEO and President and Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair, Cleveland Clinic. "Our sports medicine teams are known around the world for treating and taking care of athletes of all abilities and ages; it would be an honor to grow this program in our hometown of Cleveland with two great partners as we engage in the revitalization of downtown."

There's also a real benefit for the basketball side of of the Cavs organization. For starters, it moves the team's practice facility — where players spend more time than the arena — to downtown area and not a surrounding suburb. It's part of a trend of NBA teams upgrading and moving their facilities to downtown areas where players often live or live close to. It's also a chance to do what other teams have done and upgrade their facilities using modern technology.

In reading Koby Altman's statement, it's clear this is in part about helping the Cavs make their case to players. Cleveland isn't a destination market. It might never be. But perhaps this can help.

"Our vision for the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center is to serve as more than just a practice or training facility," said Altman, President of Basketball Operations for the Cleveland Cavaliers. "By creating a sustainable hub of resources to serve our players, we have an opportunity to retain and attract the league's top talent, strengthen the life-span of their careers, and help them reach their highest potential. These plans represent a substantial investment in the Cleveland Cavaliers' Championship Culture."

It also could allow the Cavs to bring their entire basketball family into one facility. The Cleveland Charge, the team's G League affiliate, now can be easier fit into the facility vs. The Independence location. It's also conceivable that the Charge could play their homes games at this facility in the way some other teams have done. Currently, the Charge play at the Wolstein Center on Cleveland State's campus. The Wolstein Center, however, will be replaced in upgrades Cleveland State is embarking on.

Nonprofit Breaks Ground In Downtown Boise On Major Project

A big project that is expected to have a big impact on the community it serves broke ground on Oct. 29 in downtown Boise.

The Treasure Valley Family YMCA has been planning and raising funds for its Downtown Boise YMCA facility for some time. Having secured $80 million in funding through private and public partners, the project needs another $5 million to be fully funded, the organization stated.

Construction on the project was supposed to begin this summer as previously announced by the YMCA but was delayed a couple of months. The project covers two and a half blocks in the area between Washington and State Streets where the current facility exists. That facility will not shut down until the new build is completed in approximately two years.

David Duro, president and CEO of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA addresses the crowd at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new downtown Y facility on Oct. 29. (PHOTO: COURTESY TREASURE VALLEY FAMILY YMCA)

It will include mixed-income housing, expanded affordable child care, educational space, a credit union, community gathering space and the health and wellness services.

Five million dollars of the funding came from CapEd Credit Union, which will allow for naming the facility the CapEd Downtown Boise YMCA.

"Our vision is to build a place where everyone can thrive, and today's groundbreaking brings us one step closer to making that vision a reality," said David Duro, president and CEO of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA at the ceremony. "This new facility will be the cornerstone for a comprehensive project that will create a network of support, vitality and community for thousands who live and work here."

Boise Mayor Lauren McLean talks to attendees at the groundbreaking on Oct. 29. (PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE TREASURE VALLEY YMCA)

Several government officials who have championed the project and helped secure funding were in attendance, including Boise Mayor Lauren McClean, Con. Mike Simpson and Gov. Brad Little, who lauded the facility for helping create a healthy community.

"The groundbreaking of the new CapEd Downtown Boise YMCA is a testament to our shared commitment to fostering a vibrant, healthy community," Little said. "This new facility not only will enhance access to important services but will also serve as a central hub that brings people together, supports individual well-being and community connectivity, and creates a brighter future for all Idahoans." Gov. Brad Little speaks to the crowd at the groundbreaking event in downtown Boise. (PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE TREASURE VALLEY FAMILY YMCA)

McLean echoed Little's sentiment and stated that the Y will also contribute to early childhood care.

"By doubling the amount of early child care available in downtown Boise, this project underscores our commitment to supporting families and fostering a strong, vibrant community," she said.

The downtown facility is one of four under the purview of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA organization, which operates more than 100 programs serving 110,000 youth and families every year, including a 440-acre summer camp and more than 30 child development locations.

Along with the $5 million donation, CapEd Credit Union will provide financial counseling and literacy programs, while St. Luke's Health System will collaborate with the nonprofit to provide lifestyle medicine, pediatric integrative medicine and other health and wellness resources to community members.

"This project is a perfect example of how federal investments can create lasting, positive change for our local communities," Simpson said during the event. The congressman was "pivotal," the Y said, in securing $4 million in federal funds for the project. "The new YMCA will be a cornerstone for health, wellness and education, and I'm proud to have been part of its foundation."

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